


What in the bloody hell did you do to Donna?!

by enchantedsloth



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Donna Noble Doesn't Remember, Donna Noble Fix-It, Donna Noble Remembers, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fix-It, Idiots in Love, Like, Romance, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, eventual tendonna romance, slowburn really, that is what this fic basically is!, the grief was so bad that the doctor completely forgot to tell them, what if the doctor forgot to tell the other companions that donna can't remember?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-20
Updated: 2020-01-21
Packaged: 2021-02-27 16:34:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22340107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enchantedsloth/pseuds/enchantedsloth
Summary: Martha Jones runs into Donna Noble trying to return wedding favors, just months before Martha's own wedding to Mickey Smith. Martha Jones wasn't informed that Donna can't remember. So, knowing what she knows now, she decides to do something about it. TenDonna slow burn, fix-it fic!
Relationships: Martha Jones & Donna Noble, Martha Jones & Wilfred Mott, Martha Jones/Mickey Smith, Tenth Doctor/Donna Noble
Comments: 7
Kudos: 54





	1. Chapter 1

Martha walked down the streets of London, hands shoved in her pockets to keep from the chilling bite of the cold. She smiled at a few passersby who glanced her way, taking in the stale breeze. The streets were busy with cars and folks alike, all shopping for the Holidays, trying to find that perfect something for their perfect someone. Luckily, Martha had already found her’s in a certain Mickey Smith. She rubbed her finger over the bump in her gloves where the engagement ring sat comfortably on her ring finger. She smiled despite herself, quickly ducking out of the cold and into a store that had rave reviews for their wedding favors. Martha was thinking something simple, but grand enough to make a statement, to tell all of the ladies in London and Cardiff alike that she was quite serious about her marriage to Mickey. Granted, marriage alone should have been indicative enough of her seriousness, but she’d had a few ladies come onto Mickey during their dates, despite sitting right across from him.

The warmth that came from the inside of the store hit her in the face, thawing out her cheeks immediately. She let out a sigh, pulling her hands from her coat pockets, her fingers slipping out of the gloves. She stepped closer to the counter, her fingers feeling delicious in the warmth. Taking a look around, she noticed displays for spectacular wedding favors, laid out as a way to showcase their very best. It was quite posh, she thought. She glanced back towards the front counter, noticing a very angry woman for the first time. She had her hands on her hips and whipped back and forth in frustration, red hair almost as firey as her temper. Martha chuckled, glancing back towards the wedding favors.

“What do you mean I can’t return these items?!” The woman barked, voice ablaze. It reminded her of Donna, always speaking out during moments of injustices, even if it came off as rude. Though, there was no way that the Donna Noble she knew could be this nasty, Martha decided. It wasn’t nice to compare her friend to such an unruly woman.

“Ma’am, it is our policy that we cannot take returns on wedding favors. I would suggest passing them along. Or reusing them if things didn’t work out with your first chap?” The clerk gave a smirk, as if challenging the woman. Martha even found herself bristling at the accusation that things ‘hadn’t worked out’, as the clerk put it, and wasn’t shocked when the woman slammed her hands on the counter in retaliation.

“I demand you bring me your manager at once!” She said. “And I’ll have you know, the bloke cheated. You should watch what you say before you talk that way to the next customer, assuming their business!”

“I am the manager, and it is my choice what I say to the customer, ma’am. Last time I checked, you  _ were _ a customer. If you aren’t here to purchase, I’m going to have to ask you to leave, as you aren’t here to peruse my items.” He replied, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Leave?!” The woman replied, incredulous.”I’m not leaving here ‘till these favors are returned to you, with my spent money in my pocket!”

“In that case, I must call the police.” The man shrugged, reaching for the phone.

“Wait!” Martha stepped forward, readjusting the strap of her purse awkwardly. “I’m sure this is all just a misunderstanding. There’s no need to involve the police, sir.”

“A misunderstanding?!” The woman whipped around, and Martha found herself face to face with Donna Noble. Or a Donna Noble lookalike? No, Martha reasoned, this had to be Donna. But what about the Doctor? Donna had been adamant that she would travel with him forever. Martha found her face falling at the idea that Donna had experienced anything close to what she had all those years ago.

“Donna?” Martha asked. “C’mon, I’ve never seen you like this before. Sir, she isn’t usually like this, please. Donna, lets go.”

Donna took a step backwards, her back brushing against the front counter. 

“Do I know you?!” She asked, crossing her arms over her chest. “How do you know my name?!”

Martha blinked, stunned into silence. Had she gotten it wrong? Maybe this was simply a lookalike. An old man suddenly appeared from the back of the store, wearing a bright red cap that almost resembled an apple from far away. He had a large smile on his withered face, holding up a tiny cake topper that featured a man chained to his bride. As soon as he encountered the commotion, his face dropped.

“Donna, love, what’s wrong?” He asked, stepping forward to put a tender hand on his granddaughter’s arm. 

“Oh, gramps, it’s awful. They won’t take refunds on these stupid arrangements, and on top of it all, here comes this woman trying to speak for me as if this is just some hokey misunderstanding.” Donna gave Martha a once over, as if examining her to make sure they truly were not acquainted. “That, and she knows my name. I’ve never seen this woman in my life, I’ll let you know!”

“Well, that’s odd.” Wilfred turned, seizing Martha up, before his eyes grew as wide as saucers. Immediately, he dropped the cake topper onto the counter, moving swiftly towards Martha with frantic movements. She smiled at him awkwardly, recognizing him as Donna’s grandfather.

“O-oh! Right, yes, Miss… Margaret, was it? Yes, certainly. Donna, she recognizes you because her grandmother, Miss Margaret, used to come to visit me every so often. We were pals, Margaret and I were, oh yes. She’d visit Eileen and I and often bring here Martha along. You’d play with her sometimes, but she was just an infant, I’m sure you’ve forgotten by now, given their visits were so infrequent.”

Martha blinked, stunned by his desperate game of charades, but decided to play along.

“Yeah, my grandmother was good friends with your grandfather. She died many years ago, younger than most. It was tragic. Explains why I stopped coming around?” Martha raised a brow at WIlf, but kept going. “Your grandfather and I have ran into each other quite a many times, and he’s shown me your photograph. What a cute looking baby you were!”

Donna nodded, brows still furrowed, but face relaxing nonetheless. 

“Gramps, I’ve been telling you to stop showing my photo to every stranger you meet!”

“Well, you’re lovely, Donna! And my granddaughter. Everyone should know that.” He shrugged. “But I’ll stop just for you, dear.”

Donna gave Wilfred a loving smile, but quickly resumed giving Martha an inquisitive stare. Martha smiled in Donna’s direction, awkwardly.

“Anyways, I’m still not really sure whether or not I’m believing all of this, but I really have no reason to distrust gramps, so I’ll go along with whatever this is for now.” Donna shrugged. “I’ve been desperately needing a new girlfriend since Nerys decided to take it upon herself to sleep with my husband. I’d love to grab drinks sometime, if you’re ever free. Maybe just grab a cuppa.”

“That would be lovely.” Martha smiled.

“A new start’s what I need, that’s for sure.” Donna replied.

“Ahem.”

Behind them, the manager stood with his hands on his hips, he gaze lowering to the phone on the counter in front of him.

“I’m going to have to ask all of you to leave.” He glanced pointedly at the box of used wedding favors in Donna’s arms. “ _ With _ the used arrangements.”

Before Donna had the chance to reply, her face already gearing for a fight, Martha stepped forward, placing a hesitant hand on Donna’s shoulder.

“Donna, how about I buy those off of you? Not full price, of course, but they’re lovely, and I don’t mind used wedding favors. It’s all about recycling these days, after all, isn’t it?”

Donna glanced back and forth between the manager and her strange new friend, before giving Martha a small smile.

“Hm, no fee. You can just take me out for tea sometime. That’d be payment enough for these old things.”

Martha heard the manager scoff as they exited the shop together. She smiled despite herself, once again shoving her hands into her gloves.

* * *

A week later, and Martha was still stumped by that entire incident. After exiting the shop, she had exchanged numbers with Donna and, also, Wilfred, much to her surprise. They parted ways quickly, leaving Martha to lug the box of wedding arrangements back to her car. Now, she sat on her sofa, quietly pondering what could have made Donna forget her. She twiddled her engagement ring around on her finger, biting her lip in thought. The last time she had seen Donna, as the Doctor Donna, the ginger woman had been utterly starstruck by the alien man, In fact, the more Martha thought about it, the more it almost seemed the other way around. The Doctor was quite possessive over Donna, constantly checking to make sure that Donna was not only safe, but always at his side. They were always holding hands, and sneaking glances at each other (though, they weren’t quite that sneaky; Martha always caught their glances and stored them into the back of her mind). When she had seen Rose standing by the Doctor’s side in the Dalek crucible, she was glad he had found the woman he’d been searching for, but mostly she was confused at the whereabouts of Donna. The Doctor was always throwing compliments Donna’s way, even if she wasn’t around. The man had seen constellations and touched stars, but always spoke of Donna with a twinkle in his eye as if she shined brighter than all of them. There was nothing in this world that Martha could imagine would cause the Doctor to let her go without a fight - or vice versa.

“Martha, somethin’ on your mind?”

Mickey walked into the room slowly, obviously worried for his fiance, but also trying not to burn himself on two very hot mugs of tea that he was bringing to the coffee table in front of the couch. Martha looked up at him with a wide smile, reaching for her cup.

“Here, let me help, Mick,” She laughed, watching his face as he almost lost his footing, causing the tea to splash to the side of the cup. “You’re horrible at this kind of stuff.”

“But it’s the thought that counts, innit?” He smiled, setting the cups down on the table. “Damn, I forgot the sugar. Well, forget that. What’s wrong with ya, Love?” 

He sat down at her side, placing a hand on one of her knees. 

“Mickey, I ran into Donna about a week ago.” Martha stated.

“Yeah? She seemed nice, eh? Glad the Doctor finally has himself someone to challenge him. Definitely something else seeing Rose’s face when the Doctor told Rose she had to stay in that insane alternate world. Anyway, what about it? I thought you liked her.” 

“I do, Mickey. Donna is a great person, but this woman that I ran into, this version of her… it’s off. This isn’t the woman I knew. She’s much more… I don’t know, it almost seems like she has no idea who she really is. In fact, she didn’t even know me.”

“She didn’t know you?” Mickey raised his brows. “Either being rude or maybe she’s a little scatterbrained. I’m shocked she’s left the Doctor. Seemed made for each other, almost.”

“Right, well, I don’t think she would have left by choice…” Martha trailed off, frowning.

Mickey was quiet for a moment before piping up with a, “Think it’s aliens then?”

“Yes, I think it’s aliens, but no, I don’t think it’s anything we need to be saving the earth from.” Martha sighed. “I think it’s one alien in particular. I think it’s the Doctor.”

“Why would he leave her here?” Mickey asked, leaning back on the plush couch.

“I dunno. Maybe something went wrong. But Mick, it was so strange. She didn’t remember me, and then her granddad made up some hairbrained excuse when she freaked out because I knew her name. Said I played with her as a child and he was friends with my grandmother or something.”

“That’s off. Want me to go talk to him?” Mickey made fists with his hands, pretending to punch the air. “I’ll rough him up if he was too weird. You know I got you, girl.”

Martha laughed, leaning into Mickey with affection.

“No, no, he’s harmless. Truly, he’s a nice man. I think he was trying to hide who I was because I think maybe Donna isn’t supposed to know.”

Mickey leaned into Martha, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. 

“I know you’re worried about her, and I’d never stop you from chasing a lead. Go and investigate. It’s what you do best, after all.” He dropped a kiss on top of her head, rubbing her shoulder. “And if you run into the Doctor, tell him I want a word with him. How could he give up on someone that obviously loves him more than those stars he’s always showing off?”

“I love you.” Martha sighed, hugging him closer to her.

“I love you too, Martha.”

* * *

It was only a few days later that Martha found herself standing outside of a cafe in Chiswick after agreeing to meet Wilfred for tea. She hadn’t wanted the man to have to travel far to meet her, so they settled closer to his home. It was a lovely place, she thought. There was a main window that was home to three citrus trees, which made the place quite homey. She quickly grabbed a booth, folding her coat and laying it on the empty space beside of her in the seat. She ordered a coffee for herself, along with some eggs, just to keep her stomach full. Buzzing with nervous energy, Martha found herself quite jittery. She had always thought that the next time she would see Donna would be right by the Doctor’s side. 

“Hello there.” Came a voice from beside of her, causing her to look up from her cup of coffee. “Must be a pretty interesting coffee, what with how much you’re gandering at it.”

“Oh! Sorry, no, it’s nothing more than looking into a puddle of coffee grinds, I’m afraid.” Martha laughed, gesturing for the old man to sit across from her. “Is there anything you’d like? I’d be happy to get you something. Maybe something to eat?”

“That’s nice of you, but no thank you, I’d really just like to talk about Donna, if that’s quite alright.” He smiled at her, adjusting himself in his seat. “Forgive me, but what is your name? I remember seeing you on that screen back when them aliens were invading, that’s how I knew you had to be friends with him. The Doctor, I mean.”

Martha noticed how his voice lowered when he spoke the Doctor’s name, as if it was something he had to keep private. A secret.

“My name is Martha Jones, and I run a private investigation company with my fiance, Mickey. We investigate the...unnatural, you know. That alien stuff you mentioned, that would be something we would investigate. We like to be able to take care of things while the Doctor isn’t around.”

“Is he not around?” Wilf asked, clasping his hands together nervously.

“...no. I haven’t been able to get in contact with him for quite some time now. It’s like he’s disappeared off the face of...well, the universe.” She sighed, taking a sip of her drink.

“Right...well, better off then. I’m glad you’re doing what he hasn’t been able to do.” Wilf shook his head. “He probably hasn’t been able to do much of anything, after losing Donna.”

“What happened, Wilf? What happened to Donna? She isn’t herself.”

“Ha, even you can see it.” Wilf shook his head, twiddling his thumbs. “I tried to tell him, that Doctor. I tried to tell him she wasn’t herself anymore. I don’t think he’s a bad man, I think he’s a wonderful man, in fact, but he wouldn’t do it.”

“Do what?”

“He wouldn’t give her memories back. He wouldn’t give her back.” Wilf sighed, slumping in his seat. “She was better with him. She grew so much, she was amazing. He really made her start to love herself, and then he took it away.”

“Wait, he took her memories away from her?” Martha gasped, placing her cup back on the table. “That’s possible?”

“Apparently so, you know, that alien magic he has. All of a sudden, she just forgot. We aren’t allowed to even so much as mention his name or she’ll burn. I guess when she inhaled all of that Timelord dust, it messed with her, and now if she remembers, she’ll die. Least, that’s what he says.”

“No.” Martha shook her head with astonishment. “No, the Doctor couldn’t have just let her go like that?”

“Said there was nothing else he could do. Looked like a kicked dog walking back to that time machine of his.” Wilf sighed, grabbing the menu to allow his hands something to play with. “I don’t blame him. She was dying pretty quickly, he said. I think, even if there was another way, he would have had to take away her memories anyhow, if he wanted to save her.”

“He is a good man, but he has his faults. It’s okay if you want to be angry.” Martha spoke softly, reaching across the table to rest her hand on top of his, settling it. “I can only imagine that you’ve been grieving this loss without being able to show that you’re grieving.”

“Well, she’s still alive, isn’t she?” He chuckled, patting the top of her hand with his other hand. “And how can I be angry at him? He may have taken her away, but he also kept her alive. Granted, after everything with Shaun, I’m beginning to wonder if that was the right option. Perhaps…” 

Wilf stopped, looking at the window with watery eyes. 

“Perhaps he should have just let her die. What kind of life is this, to live and not remember the parts of your life that made you feel most alive? It’s like me staying alive yet not being able to remember my wife. It’s maddening.”

Martha nodded, unable to find any words to reply to the man. She couldn’t imagine the guilt he must feel for even thinking those things, for thinking that the death of his granddaughter would have been better than the woman she had to turn back into.

“You know, the last time I was at this cafe, I was sitting across the table from the Doctor. The day we all turned into President Saxon, that blond man with the dashing smile. A lunatic, really. Anyways, we sat here and watched Donna from across that street and he cried. He cried for her, Martha.” Wilf turned back towards her, a sad smile on his face. “He cried for her, but what he doesn’t know is that she cries every night in her sleep, as if she’s dreaming of him. She wakes up, and can’t even remember the dreams. But I know she’s crying for him too.”

“Was that the last time you saw him?” Martha asked, lowering her voice. “Have you seen him since that day?”

“No. He saved my life, but it seemed like perhaps he sacrificed his. I think he was alright though, he appeared at Donna’s wedding, just out in the distance, and watched with this sad expression in his eyes. But he was fine, I think. What do I know though, I haven’t seen him since.”

Martha nodded, eyes cast down at her plate of eggs, now cold. She scraped her fork along the plate, trying to come up with something to say. Anything.

“I’m sorry for throwing all of this on you. You seem like a lovely girl, and I hate to bring you down.” Wilf pulled his hand away, smiling at Martha as if he had found some sort of clarity. “It’s so nice to talk to someone about all this though. Lord knows Sylvia, my daughter, she doesn’t want to talk about this at all. Says she’d just rather forget about the whole thing. So it’s nice to have someone that can understand what I’m going through.”

“Of course, Wilfred. I’m always here for you and your family. Mickey and me both. Anytime you need us, anytime you think something’s going wrong, please just call us. I promise to be there in a blink. Not as fast as a time machine, but as fast as I possibly can, of course.” She laughed, trying to bring the conversation back to a far lighter mood.

For the next two hours, they chatted about their adventures with the Doctor. Martha told him everything wonderful and astounding she could think of, while he told her of the travels that Donna could no longer remember. She loved hearing about Agatha Christie as much as he was taken aback by the story of William Shakespeare. Throughout the conversation, Martha couldn’t help but think it was almost as if she were talking to Donna. It was as if Wilfred had desperately wanted to recount these tales so he could keep them alive. So he could keep her alive.

As the conversation reached its end, and the two headed toward the exit, Wilfred asked her one last thing.

“Martha, could you promise me something?” 

“If I can do it, I can promise it.” Martha nodded, turning to face the man.

“If you hear from the Doctor, would you tell him to come and find me? I need to say some things to him, if that’s okay.”

“Absolutely. And don’t worry WIlf, he’ll get an earful from me as well.” 


	2. Chapter 2

When Donna Noble caught her husband in bed with Nerys, she found herself at a loss for words. She had just been coming home from her mum’s, exhausted, and ready to have a few words with Shaun. Donna knew that their marriage wasn’t working. For the past few months, she’d been spending more time at her mum’s house, in her old bedroom, trying to grapple with the feeling of something lost.

She’d met Shaun through a dating website, something that Nerys had tricked her into one night. The man himself was nice enough, Donna had initially thought, appreciating how quiet and calculative he was. It was as if he listened, and that was enough for her. They’d moved in together first, just to test the waters, but quickly married, and found themselves quite rich after a winning lotto ticket was dropped into their lives. Well, Donna’s life, as the money was in her name. They moved somewhere more ample, a family home, she thought, nothing outrageous. Other than rent, and the occasional night out, the money was hardly spend. She’d kept working, and Shaun had, at first, until he quit his job.

That’s when the problems arose, she thought. He’d lie around the house all day, eating her food and watching her telly. She’d thought, okay, maybe he wants to be a house husband. Maybe she’d begin to come home to dinner, or flowers, or foot rubs. Instead, she was always faced with take out or microwave meals, and Shaun passed out on their couch. So, she began to stay with her mum. At least there, despite the nagging and the ‘get home to your husband’ (which was less frequent than Donna could remember - then again, she was missing quite a lot, she thought), there were warm meals and a loving grandfather to keep her at bay. Plus, there were the dreams.

Ever since that night that she can’t remember, the night John Smith arrived at her house, she’d had the most brilliant dreams. In the dreams, she could see the stars. She could touch them. They would glow through her fingertips and kiss her skin, leaving a honey like warmth. There was always a man there, skinny and aloof, but always too far away to see, his body a blur of blues and browns. The stars would whisper her name as they would gather around her, as if trying to tell her secrets. She would walk through them, open space around her, surrounded by nothing but the galaxy. The constellations would come to life, buzzing around her in the shape of bees. In any other circumstance, it would cause her to scream, but it almost seemed as if the bees were trying to say thank you. They would fly up to her, fuzzy bodies nuzzling into her arm before taking off deeper into the endless galaxy around her.

She would always wake up breathless, her forehead burning up for only a moment, as if she had just been experiencing a fever. After the burn, she would return to normal, the dreams becoming just another part of her nights, something she almost looked forward to. In the dreams, she felt complete, as if she could remember what she was waiting for. She felt whole, even as the blurry man stood in the distance, his eyes following her every step as she walked through the stars.

However, the dreams only occurred when she was asleep in her bed at her mum’s. They never took place when she was in bed with Shaun, and their absence left her feeling cold. It was almost as if they were the key to something that was on the tip of her tongue, but that she just couldn’t remember. With Shaun, they didn’t exist. With Shaun, she never saw the bees made from constellations, or the galaxy laid out in front of her for miles and miles. With Shaun, she never saw the blurry figure of the man in blues and browns. She never felt his eyes on her, she never felt his gaze. His love.

So, when Donna Noble caught her husband in bed with Nerys, she found herself at a loss of words, not because she was hurt, but just because of the principal of it all. 

Shaun hadn’t heard her come in, his mouth agape like a fish when he caught the sight of her looming in their bedroom doorway. Of course he had to shag Nerys in the bed that they shared - well, the bed Donna had spent money on, at least, she reasoned. Nerys wouldn’t settle for any less. The Sylvia Noble in her told her that she should have been there with Shaun all this time, working on their marriage, but she knew that it wasn’t worth it. However, that didn’t mean he had to go and get it on with Nerys of all people. Usually, she would shout, or at least raise her voice with a few expletives, but something in her felt calm.

Nerys jumped from the bed, sheets around her naked body, leaving Shaun completely exposed. She had hickies all over her neck, but covering them meant dropping the sheet altogether, so Nerys chose to crane her neck inwards as if trying to hide them with a double chin. For once, her skinny body proved her no good, as she was unable to hide the damning evidence. Finally, accepting that she had been caught, Nerys skittered past Donna, leaving it just her and Shaun in the room. The silence in the room was thick, and she was sure it was scaring Shaun right to death. Never had she been so quiet.

When remembering that moment, Donna first recalls the headache. It was as if she had felt this sort of disappointment before, but couldn’t remember how. There was Lance. Perhaps it was because he had ran away from her at the altar (or so her mother says - it’s fuzzy), but Donna couldn’t even remember what she had felt in Lance, let alone why it would have her feeling so disappointed. Trying to remember made her head feel much worse, but not remembering was bothering her more than Shaun cheating on her with nasty Nerys. Suddenly, Shaun jumped up from the bed, hopping into his pants as if she had never seen his nether regions before.

“Donna, say something!” Of course he would eventually have to start shouting. One of them had to, and it wasn’t going to be her. She remembered when he was quiet Shaun, and wondered when he had turned into someone so loud.

“Ain’t much to say.” She shrugged, heading towards the closet to pack the few things that she had kept at their house. “Our marriage isn’t working anyways, we knew that. Might as well just chalk it up as a good try and go our separate ways.”

“So that’s it? You aren’t going to fight for me?!” He asked, causing her to look at him with a raised brow.

“What, so you get to cheat and it’s my job to fight? That isn’t how it works, mate.” She scoffed, turning back to the closet, trying to find that damn duffel.

“I’ve always just wanted you to fight, Donna.” He admitted, standing still beside the bed, the button on his jeans wide open. “You haven’t been here in months. Not really, anyways. Maybe for dinner, but you always run back to your mum! It’s like you’re scared!”

“Me, scared? Of what, _you_?!” She shouted, her anger finally beginning to bubble up. “Nah, I go home because it’s better than being here!”

“Oh, that’s a load of bullocks and you know it, Donna! You go home because of that man, that _John Smith_ man your gramps is so fond of! Don’t even try to deny it, I saw him at the wedding, looking like a kicked dog, like you’d broken his heart into pieces by marrying me!”

“ _What?!”_ Donna whipped her head around, face painted over in anger. “I’ve only met that man once in my life! I have no idea what in God’s name you’re talking about, Shaun. I’ve never cheated on you!”

“Yeah, because you spend all your time being distant and mysterious. It’s like I don’t even know you, Donna.” He huffed. “It’s like you never really gave me a chance.”

“So you decided, ‘Oh, Donna isn’t giving me attention, so instead of talking to her, I’m going to cheat on her with the one woman that infuriates her more than _anyone_ in the world’. Like a petulant child, I’ll say.” 

“I’ve _tried,_ Donna. I’ve tried, and it’s like every time I do, you take ten steps back!” He shouted. “I’ve tried to love you but you’re just so damned _hard to love!”_

Donna blanched, her mouth forming a small ‘o’. She choked back sudden tears, his words stinging her. Of course she had known she was pulling away, she had been pulling away from everyone. Even gramps, who knew her better than anyone, was getting the rough end of the stick. She and her mother were getting along the best, which spoke volumes, but ever since that incident with that _John Smith_ , her mum had pulled away too, as if she couldn’t really look Donna in the eyes. How ever could her mum fight with her, if her mum stopped seeing her?

“Right then, there it is.” She sighed, tears pooling at her eyes. “You’re right. I’m hard to love. That’s what they always say.” 

She silently zipped up her duffle, slinging it over her shoulder.

“Donna, wait --” He stepped forward as if to reach out to her, but she raised her hand to stop him.

“Don’t come any closer, Shaun. It’s over. You’ll get the papers soon, and then I’ll be out of your hair and you can go find someone who’s just a tiny bit easier for you to handle.” She muttered, walking briskly from the room. “Nerys, for example.”

She reckoned that she wasn’t hurt that Shaun had cheated, even if it was with Nerys, of all people. No, she was hurt by his words. She’d heard those words over and over in every relationship that she had been in during her life, though, she also recognized it was probably because she had a knack for jumping into relationships that weren’t the best to begin with. Sometimes, even forcing them. Perhaps things would have worked out with Shaun, had he not made her feel as if something within her was missing.

She was waiting on something that she couldn’t remember. But she knew good and well that bloody _John Smith_ had nothing to do with it, that was for sure.

That night, Gramps greeted her at the door when she finally made it home, duffel in her arms. He’d wrapped his arms around her, tight and warm, and she finally allowed herself to cry. Sylvia watched from the kitchen, face guilt stricken, before she joined Wilfred in the hug. Donna couldn’t remember the last time her mother had given her a hug so tender and warm, but she relished in it anyhow, the sobs settling slowly.

Only a short few months later, Donna Noble and Shaun Temple were divorced, and the man moved back to his home town to be closer to his mother. She didn’t tell him goodbye. Donna moved back into her mum’s house full time, and put the house she shared with Shaun up for rent, hoping to perhaps make some money out of the tragedy that was her failed marriage. “Silver linings,” her gramps always said. Trying to make the most out of nothing was her forte, as it seemed that all she ever really had was nothing.

Except for the headaches.

Though the slight headaches started after finding Shaun in bed with Nerys, it wasn't until she ran into Martha Jones that Donna had become stricken with the worst headaches of her life. At first, she blamed it on stress from the divorce, but as they continued, she began to get worried, resolving with herself that she would tell her gramps the first chance that she got.

Now, here she was, at some strange doctor’s office, waiting to be seen by the same Martha Jones that had started the headaches in the first place.

“Gramps, had I known telling you would have landed me here, I’d have just kept my mouth shut.” Donna said, glancing over at her grandfather. He was flicking through some health magazine, humming to himself.

“Well, Donna darling, if something’s wrong, we must take a look at what’s going on, right?” He responded, not looking up from the magazine. 

“Don’t talk to me like I’m a child.” Donna rolled her eyes, slumping in the chair. “I just hate doctor offices, is all.”

“I’m sure Doctor Jones is a perfectly fantastic doctor who will treat you well.” Wilfred replied. “No need to be afraid of her. She’s not going to hurt you.”

“It was after seeing her that these headaches started. Who’s to say she hasn’t bewitched me?” 

“Poppycock. And you know it’s poppycock.” He sighed. “Donna, lets just see what the good woman has to say, hm?”

Donna huffed, letting her grandfather return to his cheery tune, taking a moment to glance around the waiting room. The building that the doctor’s office itself was located in was a tad bit odd. It was an ancient building in the front, as if taking away interest from the public eye, but around the back it was made of gray, metal slabs. Inside the metal building, there was a long hallway filled with doors. A man in a small room at the beginning of the hallway led them to Martha’s office. He was wearing a suit, but had a red beret, causing Donna to raise a brow. However, once inside the office, she was taken aback by how normal it seemed. There was no one else in the waiting room except for her and her gramps. A fish tank sat on a table in the corner, fancy goldfish flittering about with their graceful fins. There was a TV mounted to the wall playing the most recent medical news, and a rack with various health magazines (which Wilfred ran to the moment he entered the room). The plants, chairs, and paintings on the walls were all normal. The only thing strange was the lack of a receptionist, instead just a counter with a buzzer. Her grandfather suggested that this office must be very posh and private, and perhaps Doctor Jones just didn’t get many patients, or planned ahead of time and knew which patients were coming and going. Either way, it felt off, and Donna was only giving it a chance to appease her grandfather.

“Donna?” Martha stepped out from the hallway beside of the counter with the buzzer, wearing a white doctor’s jacket with a stethoscope hung around her neck. “If you’d come this way? I’m sorry for the brief wait, I just needed to get everything set up round back.”

“Of course.” Donna nodded. She stood, heading towards the back, before noticing that Wilfred was hot on her heels. She stopped, giving the older man a pointed look.

“Gramps, I’d like to go back alone if that’s alright. For privacy.” Donna said. 

“Oh! Oh, of course.” Wilfred nodded, awkwardly making his way back to his chair. “I’ll be here if you need me.”

Donna gave him a smile before heading back towards the room that Martha had disappeared into. It was a small room that looked as if it were just an average check up area. There was a sink, a biohazard materials box, a trash can, a chair, and even an examination table for Donna to sit on. Martha greeted her with a warm smile, pulling some rubber gloves back on her hands.

“Alright Donna, have a seat and tell me what’s wrong?”

Donna adjusted herself on the examination table, the sterile white paper crunching underneath her body as she moved.

“Well, Martha, I’ve been having some horrible headaches for weeks now. Nothing’s done the trick to get rid of them. Not pills, not a nice cup of tea, not sleep. I’m in pain.”

“Is there anything triggering the headaches that you know of?” Martha asked.

“Not to be cheeky, but the headaches did start when I met you. Well, I guess I’d already met you, but I mean when we reunited in the shop.” Donna admitted. “I haven’t been getting on very well since then.”

Martha nodded, scribbling something down on a white pad. 

“No offense taken, Donna. What other instances have these headaches occurred?”

“Whenever I’m trying to remember something. Or whenever I see something that makes me realize there’s something I’ve forgotten. There is just so much empty space in my head, and I feel so incomplete.”

“I imagine that’s a hard feeling to grasp, not knowing if you’re missing pieces of life.” Martha eyed Donna, frowning. “Do you have any ideas to what you’ve lost?”

“I’ve lost my failed first wedding, that I know for sure. Mum says Lance ran away at the altar, but I can’t remember. And shouldn’t I? I mean, I should have been standing right next to him!” 

“Absolutely. That’s definitely a strange memory to lose.” Martha nodded, grabbing the stethoscope from around her neck. “Do you think trauma did it? I mean, if he ran away from the altar, then perhaps you were so traumatized that you repressed the memory itself.”

Donna nodded to herself, considering Martha’s words as she breathed in and out so Martha could check her breathing with the stethoscope. It was cold against her skin, but the sensation felt good. She could feel herself getting warm.

“I guess that’s a possibility. But it doesn’t explain the entire year that I can’t remember, nor does it explain the headaches. Even right now, just talking about it, I can feel the headache coming on. I get warm first, then it begins to hurt.”

Martha placed the back of her hand on Donna’s forehead, frowning. She grabbed a thermometer from a small metal table of medical instruments, and gingerly shifted Donna’s hair aside to place the thermometer in her ear. After a moment, she pulled the thermometer out, eyebrows furrowing.

“Well, despite burning up, you’re not running a fever, which is good.”

“Right then, I guess the headaches just make me feel warm.” Donna stared off past Martha, glancing at a cardiovascular chart in the distance. There was a blue and red photo of a heart and the outline of a human cardiovascular system right beside of it. A body was etched around the cardiovascular system, showing the patient exactly where it would be located. Funny, Donna thought. It almost looked brand new. In fact, everything in the examination room did.

“You sure do keep this place looking shiny.” Donna smiled. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say that everything was brand new, right from the shop.”

Martha glanced up at her with wide eyes, but quickly formed a smile once she saw the grin on Donna’s face.

“Yeah, I like to keep it clean for the patients. Sterile and clean is what makes people want to come back, after all.”

“Anyways, enough of that. What’s your diagnosis?”

“Well, I haven’t taken a scan of your brain, so I can’t say for sure. But from knowing you and speaking to you, I feel as if what’s causing these headaches are your memories. There’s something traumatic holding you back from remembering, I think, and my suggestion to you would be to stop trying to force it.”

“But I want to remember --”

“Of course. I want you to remember as well.” Martha took a pause and reached her hand out to rest on Donna’s shoulder. “We all want you to remember. But whatever needs to be remembered will come back with its own time. Nothing stays hidden forever, and things will come to light. For now, I’m going to prescribe you some medicine for the headaches, some that are stronger than what you can buy from the store. However, I’m also recommending that you take it easy. Stop forcing things. Live your life.”

“Right.” Donna nodded, stepping down from the examination table. She smoothed down the back of her shirt and watched as Doctor Jones scribbled on a white prescription pad. Martha turned around, handing the paper to Donna.

“I’ll call in the medication and you can pick it up right after you leave here, but this paper here lists the address to a bar downtown.”

“A bar downtown? What for?”

“I’d like you to come out for drinks with me and my friends this weekend.” Martha smiled. “Here’s the address, and a time. I’d really like to get to know you more, Donna, and I’m sure you’ll get along well with my friends.”

“Oh!” Donna took the paper, shocked. “I really didn’t think we’d ever see each other again, but here we are! Thank you, Martha.”

“No worries, I think that the better a time you have with friends, the more those headaches might go away.”

“Well, a night out with friends is definitely a Doctor’s orders I don’t mind giving a try!”

Martha watched Donna head off down the long hallway towards the waiting area, and wondered what she had just gotten herself into.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I want to showcase more Wilf and Martha in the future, but I also want to build up the Donna and Martha friendship as well, which will be explored more in the next chapter, along with two new (but not really new) characters! Thank you so much for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there! I've loved these two characters (Tendonna) since 2008, and my love for them has only grown since. I hope to update once a week (maybe more!) because I have 90% of this fic finished and ready to go. If there is anything that isn't cohesive enough, or needs some clarifying, please let me know as we go along so I can add it to the fic as I update! Thank you so much for reading!


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